5 children rescued from being smuggled to Pakistan

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): Police in southeastern Paktia province on Thursday claimed rescuing five children from being smuggled to Pakistan for militancy training by three smugglers.

Paktika police chief Brig. Gen. Toryalai Abdani told reporters here that the three alleged smugglers who had been arrested wanted to smuggle the children from Zurmat district to Pakistan.

He claimed the detainees had Pakistani ID cards and had been in contact with Pakistani police to help them cross the border. The three smugglers also had “dirty” films in their cell phones, Abdani said.

“These children were first taken to Patanpur district from Zurmat district by the smugglers who wanted to transfer them across the border to train them in terrorist attacks.”

The children said they didn’t know who the smugglers were but their family told them to go with them to Pakistan for religious education.

Officials said they were trying to reunite the children with their families and introduce the detainees to judicial organs.

Security officials also urged families not to send their children to Pakistan for religious education.